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How to Fix PS5 Game License and Ownership Errors

A PS5 padlock does not necessarily mean a purchase is gone. Verify the account or subscription that grants access, restore licenses, then troubleshoot sharing, network, downloads, or game-start errors.
Length12 min Posted Quest giverVGSources Team
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If a PS5 game is locked, missing, or unable to confirm its license, first verify which account or subscription grants access. Then restore licenses from Settings > Users and Accounts > Other > Restore Licenses. If another account owns the game, check that account’s Console Sharing and Offline Play setting. These checks address the most common entitlement paths without deleting saved data; network, download, and game-start errors may need separate fixes.

How do I fix PS5 game license and ownership errors?

Work out whether the game should be available through a purchase, a PlayStation Plus benefit, or sharing from another user on the console. A padlock alone does not prove a purchase has disappeared. After confirming the correct access path, restore the relevant licenses, then troubleshoot the network or console only if the entitlement checks do not resolve the problem.

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These are different kinds of access. A purchased game belongs to the account that completed the transaction. A game accessed through a subscription depends on an eligible, active membership and, for catalog titles, the game still being available in that catalog. A game owned by a different user can be shared on a PS5 when that owner has enabled Console Sharing and Offline Play there. Fixing one type of access does not convert it into another.

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Choose the branch that matches what happened

What you see First place to check
A padlock, or a game that worked before but will not start Account that owns the purchase, subscription eligibility, or the sharing setting of the owning user
A game or add-on is missing from the library Purchasing account and transaction history; then restore licenses
The console says it cannot confirm a content license Use the specific error-code instructions, and check network or service availability if the code indicates a connection problem
A download or installation fails Follow the download/install path for the reported code rather than treating it as a purchase dispute
The license appears correct, but the game crashes or will not launch Move to game-start and console troubleshooting after entitlement checks

This quick comparison helps avoid repeating the wrong fix. If the issue is who has the right to play, changing network equipment will not create ownership. If the code points to a server connection or a failed installation, repeatedly checking the purchase is unlikely to address the immediate fault. Start with the part of the process that is actually failing: entitlement, license confirmation, download/install, or launch.

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Confirm who grants access to the game

If you bought the game

  1. Sign in to the PS5 with the account used to buy the game. Having the game installed while signed in to a different account does not establish that the second account owns it.
  2. Check that account’s transaction history for the game or add-on and confirm that the transaction succeeded. Sony’s PlayStation Store download troubleshooting guidance recommends checking purchase ownership when a game is locked or missing.
  3. If the expected transaction is absent or did not complete, restoring licenses cannot create a purchase entitlement. Resolve the account or transaction question first through the account used for the attempted purchase or PlayStation Support.

Keep the distinction between installation and entitlement in mind: files on the console do not by themselves prove that the signed-in account can play the content. Similarly, a padlock is a symptom of an access check failing, not evidence by itself that the transaction was removed.

If you use more than one PlayStation account, check the account switcher carefully before reviewing transaction history. The game may have been bought under a different account than the one normally used to play. A library view or an installed game alone cannot confirm which account made the purchase; the purchasing account’s transaction history is the stronger ownership check. If the transaction is present, note that account as the owner before you move on to license or sharing steps.

If access comes from PlayStation Plus

Check that the membership associated with the account is active. If the title was accessed as a catalog game, confirm that it remains in the applicable catalog; subscription access is not the same as owning a permanent purchase. If either condition is no longer met, restoring licenses will not make the game eligible again. Sony’s game-download troubleshooting guidance lists membership status and catalog availability among the checks for a locked game.

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Use the same distinction when an add-on or a particular title is missing: determine whether it was purchased separately or was available through a membership benefit. A membership can provide access under its terms, but it does not turn every catalog game into a permanent purchase. When access was through a catalog, check current availability rather than assuming that an earlier download guarantees continuing access.

If a different user bought the game

The owning account must be present on the PS5 and have Console Sharing and Offline Play enabled on the console where other users are trying to access its games. This setting shares eligible content on that PS5; it does not transfer the purchase to another account. Ask the owner to check the setting while signed in to the account that bought the game.

For a household with more than one PS5, check which console currently has the owner’s sharing enabled. Sony says only one PS5 can have Console Sharing and Offline Play enabled for an account at a time. If it is enabled on a different PS5, the owner must disable it there before enabling it on the console where the game is locked. The first PS5 used to sign in is automatically allowed, but that does not mean the owner can enable sharing on multiple consoles simultaneously.

Restore licenses on PS5

Sony Interactive Entertainment’s PlayStation Support guide, “How to restore licenses on PlayStation consoles,” recommends license restoration for issues such as a padlock, missing game or add-on, or a game crash. Sony states: “Please note, restoring licenses won’t affect your data.”

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  1. On the PS5, open Settings > Users and Accounts > Other > Restore Licenses.
  2. Select the licenses you want to restore and start the restore operation.
  3. When it finishes, return to the game or add-on and check whether it is available.

You can also highlight the game on the home screen or in the library, press the Options button, and choose Restore License. This is a direct alternative for an individual title. If the game remains locked, go back to the account, membership, or sharing check rather than repeatedly assuming that restoration can grant an entitlement the account does not have.

License restoration is a sensible early troubleshooting step because Sony says it does not affect data, and it is directly aimed at license-related access problems. It is not a purchase lookup, a refund process, or a way to extend a subscription or catalog listing. If the license restore completes but the game still shows a padlock, use the result as a cue to verify the account and access conditions rather than treating the restore as proof that the entitlement exists.

Enable Console Sharing and Offline Play for a shared game

On the PS5, the owning user should open Settings > Users and Accounts > Other > Console Sharing and Offline Play. Sony’s support guidance says to select Enable or Disable as appropriate. The first PS5 used to sign in is automatically allowed, but sharing can be enabled on only one PS5 at a time.

  1. Sign in on the target PS5 with the account that purchased the game.
  2. Open the Console Sharing and Offline Play setting and check its current state.
  3. If the owner’s sharing is enabled on a different PS5, disable it there before enabling it on this console.
  4. Return to the affected user’s account and try the game again.

Enabling sharing does not make the affected user the purchaser. The entitlement remains associated with the account that bought the content, and that account must be the one whose sharing setting is enabled for its purchases to be shared. If the setting is already configured correctly, proceed to restoring licenses or the relevant error-code branch.

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Do not change this setting on the affected player’s account if that account did not buy the game and expect that to share the owner’s library. The relevant setting is on the purchasing user’s account. Likewise, disabling sharing on the target console can remove shared access there, so check which PS5 is currently enabled before changing it.

Check the error code before changing console settings

The code helps distinguish a license-confirmation failure from a failed download or installation. Follow the matching Sony procedure; do not treat every code as proof of an ownership problem.

Error code What Sony identifies Relevant steps
CE-109245-1 Content license information cannot be confirmed Restart the PS5, sign in with the account that owns the content, and enable Console Sharing and Offline Play.
CE-109258-5 The server connection may have failed, so the content license was not confirmed Check PlayStation Network status; restart the PS5; switch off the router and modem for at least five minutes, then restart them; restore licenses; try again later if the issue appears temporary.
CE-106487-6 Download or installation issue Update system software, restore licenses, delete and retry the failed download, then use Safe Mode to clear the cache and rebuild the database.

The guidance above reflects Sony’s US support pages for the respective codes. Sony maintains those pages live, and the menu labels or troubleshooting instructions may change. If your on-screen code differs, use the support page for that exact code rather than substituting one of these procedures.

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Use the code to choose between paths. CE-109245-1 points you back to the owner account and sharing configuration. CE-109258-5 adds a possible connection or service issue, so check PlayStation Network status and follow its network restart sequence. CE-106487-6 is about a download or installation, so deleting and retrying that failed download is relevant; it is not evidence by itself that the purchase is missing.

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Rule out PSN, network, and system-software problems

Check service status and restart

A license check can fail because the console cannot reach the service needed to confirm it. Check PlayStation Network status and restart the PS5. If the service is unavailable or the failure looks temporary, retry after it has recovered. This is especially relevant to CE-109258-5, which Sony associates with a possible server-connection failure.

Power-cycle network equipment for CE-109258-5

For this code, Sony’s specific instructions include restarting the network equipment after it has been powered off for at least five minutes. Turn off the router and modem, leave them off for that interval, then turn them back on and allow the connection to return. Restore the PS5 licenses and retry. A quick restart that does not include the stated five-minute wait is not the full code-specific procedure.

Install the latest PS5 system software

Update the system software when the console is behind, especially before proceeding to download or Safe Mode troubleshooting. Sony includes a system software update in its steps for CE-106487-6 and in broader game troubleshooting. Updating is a console-maintenance step: it does not establish that the account owns the game or that a subscription benefit remains eligible.

Think of network checks as a way to rule out a temporary confirmation problem, not as a replacement for checking access rights. If PSN is operating normally and the same entitlement error continues after the prescribed restart and license restoration, move on to the exact code’s remaining guidance or contact support with the details.

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Use Safe Mode only after access checks

If ownership, sharing, license restoration, service status, and system software do not resolve the issue, Sony’s game-start and download guidance includes Safe Mode troubleshooting. The relevant options are to clear the system software cache and rebuild the database. For CE-106487-6, Sony places these steps after updating software, restoring licenses, and deleting and retrying the failed download.

Safe Mode options address console software state; they are not a substitute for a valid purchase, eligible subscription, or correctly configured sharing account. Follow the on-screen Safe Mode instructions carefully and choose the cache/database options specified in Sony’s troubleshooting guidance, rather than selecting unrelated reset or reinstall options.

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If a game still will not start

Sony’s game-start guidance also lists deleting and redownloading the game. Use that later in the sequence, once you have checked the entitlement and tried the less disruptive fixes. Deleting an installed game is different from deleting a saved game, but verify which item you are selecting before confirming any deletion. If Sony’s persistent-issue steps lead you to reinstall system software, back up data first. Reinstallation is a later recovery measure, not the first response to a locked-game message.

Keep the troubleshooting order proportional to the problem. First establish that the account is entitled to the game; then restore its license and address any relevant sharing or connection issue. A failed download may justify deleting and retrying that download, while a game that downloads but crashes or will not start may call for game-start steps. Save system software reinstallation for a persistent case and back up data before following that step, as Sony advises.

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When to contact PlayStation Support

Contact PlayStation Support if the purchase appears in the owning account’s transaction history, the relevant sharing or subscription conditions are satisfied, and the Sony troubleshooting steps still leave the title inaccessible. Include details that help support distinguish an entitlement issue from a console or connection fault:

  • The exact error code or message shown on screen.
  • What happens when you try to access the game, and the steps that reproduce it.
  • The date and time of an attempt.
  • A screenshot or video of the error, if available.

Sony’s game-download troubleshooting guidance asks for this kind of diagnostic information when escalating a persistent problem. Keep the account that owns the purchase clear in your explanation, especially when another household user is the one seeing the lock.

For example, say whether the title was purchased by the account currently signed in, obtained through a membership catalog, or shared by another account. Include whether the failure happens when starting the game or while downloading/installing it. Those distinctions, along with the exact code and attempt time, give support a clearer starting point than simply reporting that “the license is broken.”

The supported remedies here are account, subscription, network, and console-software checks. Buying an accessory or replacement part does not correct a digital ownership or license state, and Sony’s troubleshooting steps do not establish a repair cost. If the issue remains after the software and entitlement checks, PlayStation Support is the appropriate next contact.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Why is my PS5 game locked if I already downloaded it?

An installed game does not by itself prove that the currently signed-in account has access. Check the purchasing account’s transaction history, active PlayStation Plus membership and catalog eligibility if applicable, or the owning user’s Console Sharing and Offline Play setting. Then restore licenses.

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How do I restore licenses on PS5?

Open Settings > Users and Accounts > Other > Restore Licenses, select the relevant licenses, and start the restore. You can also highlight a game on the home screen or in the library, press Options, and choose Restore License. Sony says restoring licenses will not affect your data.

Can restoring licenses make a game I never bought available?

No. License restoration can help reconcile access for content the account is entitled to, but it cannot create a purchase, make an expired membership active, or make a removed catalog title eligible.

Can I share my purchased game with another PS5 user?

The purchasing account can enable Console Sharing and Offline Play on one PS5 at a time so eligible content can be shared there. The purchase remains on the owner’s account; sharing does not transfer ownership. If another PS5 is enabled, sharing must be disabled there before enabling it on the target console.

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What should I do for PS5 error CE-109258-5?

Check PlayStation Network status, restart the PS5, turn off the router and modem for at least five minutes and restart them, restore licenses, and try again later if the issue appears temporary.

Will Safe Mode fix a game that is not mine or is no longer in my subscription catalog?

Safe Mode cache clearing and database rebuilding address console software state, not entitlement. First confirm the purchase, subscription eligibility, or sharing setup; use Safe Mode only if those checks and the earlier troubleshooting steps do not resolve a launch or download problem.

The Bottom Line

For a PS5 padlock or license error, first identify whether access comes from a purchase, an active subscription/catalog title, or another user’s enabled Console Sharing and Offline Play. Restore licenses next. Use the exact error-code steps for network, download, or launch failures, and back up data before any system software reinstallation. Restoring licenses itself does not affect data, but it cannot grant an entitlement the account does not have.

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